Finnair is facing some tough decisions:

The closure of Russian airspace causes considerable changes in Finnair’s traffic. Finnair has today called employee representatives to discuss plans regarding possible furloughs of up to 90 days, which, if implemented, would impact Finnair flight crews. The estimated need for additional monthly furloughs for pilots ranges from 90 to 200 and for cabin crew from 150 to 450 employees starting from April. The final furlough need, however, depends on how the exceptional situation progresses and what mitigations can be found and will be defined during the negotiations. The negotiations concern all 2800 pilots and cabin crew members in Finland. In addition, Finnair evaluates the impacts regarding employees outside Finland in those destinations where the availability of work is estimated to decrease.

Russia issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen) on Monday 28 February regarding the closure of Russian airspace from Finnish aircraft until 28 May 2022. Finnair has now cancelled all of its flights to Russia until May 28, and has so far cancelled a part of its Asian flights until March 6, 2022. Finnair currently flies to Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Delhi and as of March 9 to Tokyo, avoiding Russian airspace, and is currently evaluating possibilities to operate a part of its flights to Korea, and China with an alternative routing. At the same time, Finnair is preparing an alternative network plan in case the situation is prolonged.

”With Russian airspace closed, there will be fewer flights by Finnair, and unfortunately less work available for our employees”, says Jaakko Schildt, Chief Operations Officer, Finnair. ”A large share of our staff has been on long furloughs during the pandemic, so the need for further furloughs feels especially harsh, and we are sorry for this.”

Passenger and cargo traffic between Asia and Europe plays an important role in Finnair’s network; before the pandemic, over half of Finnair’s revenue came from this traffic. During the pandemic, many Asian countries have restricted travel, but Finnair has operated many of its Asian routes supported by the strong cargo demand. Routing the flights avoiding Russian airspace adds at its worst several hours to the flight time, and the increased jet fuel price combined with the longer routing weighs heavily on the flights’ possibility to break even.

As of March 9, 2022, Finnair will again fly to Tokyo Narita airport four times a week out of Helsinki, avoiding the Russian airspace. The flight time is approximately 13 hours and the flights connect smoothly to Finnair’s European network via its home hub Helsinki Airport.

Finnair flies from Helsinki to Tokyo Narita four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, departing at 17.30 local time. The Tokyo-Helsinki route is operated on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays departing at 22.40 local time.

Earlier this week Finnair cancelled its flights to China, Japan and South Korea until March 6, 2022. Finnair continues to fly to Bangkok, Delhi, Phuket and Singapore, with a longer routing that avoids Russian airspace. Finnair flies to Bangkok and Phuket also from Stockholm Arlanda in addition to Helsinki.

Other news:

Finnair is being hit hard due to airspace closures and the invasion of Russia into Ukraine:

Due to the closure of Russian airspace, Finnair is cancelling flights to Japan, Korea, China and Russia.

Due to the closure of Russian airspace, we are evaluating alternative routings for some of our flights to Japan, Korea and China. So far, we have cancelled flights to these destinations until 6 March 2022, and cancelled all flights to Russia until 28 May 2022.

We will communicate on further cancellations of our flights to Japan, China and Korea starting from the end of this week, once the routing plans have been finalized.

We continue flying from Helsinki to Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and Delhi and from Stockholm Arlanda to Phuket. We will avoid using the Russian airspace which lengthens the travel time by approximately one hour.

Finnair joins many other European airlines and suspends its flights in Russian airspace for one week. With this action, Finnair prepares for the possible upcoming regulatory changes.

Finnair cancels its passenger and/or cargo flights to Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Asia and to Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia between  February 28 and March 6. Flights to Hongkong were cancelled until the end of March already earlier.

Finnair continues to operate passenger and/or cargo flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and Delhi but reroutes the flights to avoid Russian airspace. This lengthens the flight times by approximately one hour. Finnair flies to Bangkok and Phuket also from Stockholm Arlanda in addition to Helsinki.

Finnair communicates flight cancellations directly to customers who have bookings on the cancelled flights and does its best to reroute customers to their destinations on other flights. Customers can also apply for a full refund for the unused ticket. In addition, Finnair has made changes to its refund policy. Customers can cancel their flight and apply for a refund if they have a flight to South Korea, Japan or China between February 27 and March 13. A full refund is possible for flights to Russia for the time being.

The decision on Russian airspace usage after March 6 will be made later as the possible regulatory changes clarify.

Finnair has today launched the airline’s new spacious, long-haul look with a brand-new Business Class and exciting new Premium Economy cabin as part of a major investment to enhance the customer experience.

The Finnish flag carrier, known for connecting Asia and Europe via the short northern route, unveiled the 200-million-euro investment at a press conference in Helsinki this morning.

The complete cabin renewal covers all Finnair Airbus A350 and A330 long-haul aircraft, with new cabins to be fitted over the next two years, featuring an entirely new Business Class, a brand-new Premium Economy cabin, and a refreshed Economy Class.

The full experience, complete with renewed service concepts, will be available in spring 2022 on selected routes across Finnair’s long-haul network. The routes will be announced at the sales start on March 1, 2022.

Finnair’s Nordic design language and the warm, dark, comforting color scheme throughout the Business Class and Premium Economy follow the palette and design of Finnair’s renewed non-Schengen lounges, unveiled at Helsinki Airport in 2019.

The main entrance for all cabin classes has a stylish new entry area and a refreshment bar, creating a striking impression for customers and new service opportunities for cabin crew.

The Business Class cabin renewal also comes complete with renewed service concepts to further enhance the customer experience.

Customers will be enjoying a choice of dishes served on new chinaware designed by top Finnish designer Harri Koskinen and Iittala specifically for Finnair.

Finnish design house Marimekko has designed a new collection of unique textiles to complement the warm and inviting onboard atmosphere to create a premium customer comfort experience. These include a duvet and pillows for the Business class, as well as a neck pillow and a woven blanket for Premium Economy.

Finnair’s new Premium Economy cabin is being installed in all its long-haul aircraft for the first time, offering the airline’s long-haul customers a comfortable and stylish new cabin choice.

Finnair has also invested in a refresh of its long-haul Economy Class, with new seats and larger Inflight Entertainment (IFE) screens with an updated user interface for its A330 aircraft and three A350s.

Sixteen of Finnair’s A350 aircraft will see their Economy cabins receive new seat covers and an updated IFE user experience to bring them in line with the designs of the new Business and Premium Economy cabins.

Business class travel takes a leap forward with Finnair’s new Business Class cabin and the spacious new Collins Aerospace AirLounge™ seat. Finnair is the launch customer for this new and innovative seating concept that is to be rolled out across Finnair’s entire long-haul fleet of A330s and A350s.

The AirLounge is not a traditional aircraft seat but takes inspiration from lounge furniture. The seat is designed to maximize your comfort, space, and freedom to move during a long-haul flight. The clean lines and the dark, comforting color scheme follow Finnair’s Nordic design style that is visible also in Finnair’s lounges in the non-Schengen area at Helsinki Airport.

Finnair’s completely new long-haul travel experience is complemented by new Iittala tableware designed exclusively for Finnair by Harri Koskinen, one of Finland’s best-known contemporary designers. Koskinen created the Kuulas collection to be used in Finnair’s long-haul business class and the new premium economy travel class, and short-haul business class.

The new Iittala Kuulas tableware is designed for the flying experience and inspired by the modern home-like environment. The collection, designed by Harri Koskinen, includes plates, bowls, cups, tumblers, wine glasses and cutlery.

“In the long-haul business class and the new premium economy class, dining is an important part of the whole, and we wanted to complement the experience with fresh Nordic design,” says Kristos Mavrostomos, who is responsible of developing the tableware in Finnair’s Inflight CX team.

The tableware is designed for an in-flight environment and is almost 20% lighter than Finnair’s previous tableware, which supports Finnair’s weight reduction and emission targets.

Tableware to support the cabin experience

The starting point for the design of the Kuulas tableware was to support the whole of the renewed travel experience: close co-operation in the design process was established with various parties, including Finnair Kitchen’s chefs. Finnair Kitchen has designed a new meal concept focusing on the very best in Nordic cuisine, with Japanese and Asian influences for the business class, and the Kuulas tableware is also available for a three-course meal in the new premium economy travel class. Close co-operation in the design process ensured that the tableware meets the needs of the kitchen and at the same time supports the desired cabin experience.

“As a designer I was fascinated by Finnair’s idea for the new flight experience to make the cabin feel like home. Even though the Kuulas tableware is designed for the in-flight environment, the main task was to create authentic, familiar items which would remind the user of home and of tableware used in everyday life. Lasting materials and thoughtful design create a premium experience,” Koskinen says.

Co-operation already from the 1960s

The co-operation between Finnair and Iittala began as early as the 1960s, when Tapio Wirkkala designed the iconic Ultima Thule glassware series in 1968, and it was first launched in 1969 for Finnair’s New York flights. The Ultima Thule glass will still continue to be used in Finnair’s business class champagne serving.

“Already since the 1960s Iittala and Finnair’s co-operation has been promoting Nordic design around the world. We are delighted to continue the co-operation with the new Kuulas tableware. As a result of Harri Koskinen’s expertise in design, the Kuulas collection is functional and reflects timeless, Nordic aesthetics – elements that are essential in Iittala’s design,” says Carolina Bade, VP, Iittala’s business and offering.

Kuulas tumblers, which are made in the Iittala Glass Factory in Finland, will also be later available for consumers to buy in Iittala’s and Finnair’s channels.

Long-haul flights are key to Finnair’s strategy, with the Finnish carrier specializing in connecting Europe and Asia via the short, fuel-efficient northern route, as well as offering excellent connections to the US.

In summer 2022, Finnair plans to serve nearly 100 destinations in Europe, Asia and the US including new long-haul routes to Busan, in South Korea, Tokyo Haneda in Japan as well as Dallas and Seattle in the USA.

Video:

Finnair has issued this traffic report for January:

In January, Finnair carried 451,300 passengers, which was 427.3% more than in January 2021. The number of passengers in January 2022 was 25.1% less than in December 2021.

The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries due to the Omicron variant, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures even though travel from both Finland and Sweden to the United States and e.g., Thailand opened in November, thereby increasing the number of passengers carried by Finnair. Passenger traffic figures are, in general, clearly at their lowest during Q1 and, together with the Omicron impact, this was visible also in January figures compared to December 2021.

The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in January by 499.5% year-on-year but decreased by 4.5% month-on-month. Finnair operated, on average, 209 daily flights (cargo-only included), which was 182.4% more than in January 2021 but 9.1% less than in December 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to January 2021 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair’s traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 963.3% year-on-year but declined by 20.9% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 19.7% points to 45.1% year-on-year but decreased by 9.3% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 271.2% year-on-year. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 616.5%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 169.1%.

RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 1,333.2%, in European traffic by 797.7% and in domestic traffic by 177.9% year-on-year.

The PLF was 39.0% both in Asian traffic and in North Atlantic traffic but both were supported by the strong cargo operations. The PLF was 53.7% in European traffic and 54.0% in domestic traffic.

Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 1,280.9%, in European traffic by 546.9% and in domestic traffic by 169.9% year-on-year.

In North Atlantic traffic, ASK, RPK and passenger number growth rates year-on-year cannot be calculated as there were no passenger flights in January 2021.

In January, available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 425.2% year-on-year (increased by 6.4% month-on-month) and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 278.5% (decreased by 13.5% month-on-month), both due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights, especially in North Atlantic and Asian traffic, in January 2021. Cargo-related available tonne kilometres increased by 216.6% year-on-year (increased by 3.2% month-on-month) and revenue tonne kilometres increased by 135.0% (decreased by 13.8% month-on-month) and both include the cargo-only flights, operated mainly between Europe and Asia, as well as between Europe and North America. Cargo-only tonnes grew by 17.1% year-on-year (decreased by 15.3% month-on-month). Exceptionally strong demand for cargo capacity continued in January as the total cargo tonnes increased by 139.4% year-on-year. They decreased, however, by 11.9% month-on-month as the seasonality applies to demand for cargo as well.

In January, 63.1% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (80.7%). In addition to severe weather conditions, on-time performance was impacted by COVID-19-related challenges, such as travel restrictions, which required additional travel document checks, and higher-than-normal sick leaves, which caused resourcing challenges both internally and for service providers in the home hub as well as in outstations.

Traffic statistics for February 2022 will be published on Tuesday 8 March 2022.

* Based on average operational cargo capacity

** Including purchased traffic

• Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points, N/A = not available).
• Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
• Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers, cargo and mail multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers, cargo and mail multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres.

Finnair made this announcement:

The omicron coronavirus variant and flu season has led to a significant increase of sick leave among staff at Finnair and its partners. To cope with the resource challenges, Finnair is now reducing its traffic program for the month of February by around 20% and offering other flight options to its customers. These flight cancellations will enable Finnair to operate a more flexible schedule and adapt to the expected rise in sick leave across different functions at Finnair and its partners.

“Staff sick leave is now significantly impacting Finnair and airports in Finland as well as throughout the world. We aim to meet these resourcing challenges through the cancellation of flights, to avoid last-minute changes and better manage our customers’ expectations. This will give customers more time to prepare for flight schedule changes and adjust their travel plans if needed,” says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this may cause to our customers. However, reducing our traffic program is necessary to better offer a smooth travel experience in the face of the expected resource challenges,” Orvér continues.
The majority of the cancelled flights are on routes where Finnair operates multiple daily flights, so many customers will be offered an alternative flight on the same day. These destinations include, for example, services to Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Paris and Rome.

Changes will also take place to long-haul flights: the inaugural of Finnair’s new Dallas service will move from February to March 27 and the start of the Nagoya flights, and added frequencies to Osaka, will move to the summer season 2022. Finnair will also reduce weekly frequencies to Singapore to twice a week and to Hong Kong to three. Finnair will be in touch with those customers affected by the cancellations via email and do its best to find alternative flights for them. Finnair will send the new flight details via email and customers can check them online through the Manage Booking or via the Finnair mobile app. Customers with cancelled flights also have the option to apply for a refund for unused tickets.

During the pandemic, Finnair has offered exceptional flexibility for all bookings and customers have been able to change their travel dates without a change fee. Until 28 February 2022, customers can change their travel dates as many times as they need, without any additional change fee. After that, they can make one additional change. Customers have used this opportunity actively, and the change requests have caused backlogs at Finnair’s Customer Service, which has recruited dozens of new employees to cope with the demand. In most cases, customers can make the change themselves online through the Manage Booking service.

Despite these proactive actions, last minute changes to flights are still possible due to sick leaves or weather-related disruption. In addition, the strike announced by Finnish labour union Pro for 17 January can also cause more disruption and therefore flight cancellations. Finnair is not a party in the dispute between the two labour unions, but any strike action would still have an impact upon Finnair aircraft maintenance. With our continued priority on safety, Finnair has therefore made special arrangements to secure the continued maintenance of its aircraft during the potential strike.

In December, Finnair carried 602,700 passengers, which was 551.4% more than in December 2020. The number of passengers in December 2021 was 23.8% more than in November 2021 (month-on-month figures are not fully comparable as there is one fewer day in November).

The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries due to the Omicron variant, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures even though travel from both Finland and Sweden to the United States and e.g. Thailand opened in November, thereby increasing the number of passengers carried by Finnair.

The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in December by 554.4% year-on-year and by 26.8% month-on-month. Finnair operated, on average, 230 daily flights (cargo-only included), which was 206.7% more than in December 2020 and 15.6% more than in November 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to December 2020 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair’s traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 1,081.5% year-on-year and by 49.8% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 24.3% points to 54.4% year-on-year and by 8.4% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 334.6% year-on-year. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 660.9%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 181.1%.

RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 1,261.0%, in European traffic by 919.1% and in domestic traffic by 247.2% year-on-year.

The PLF was 38.9% in Asian traffic and 55.9% in North Atlantic traffic but both were supported by the very strong cargo operations. The PLF was 66.9% in European traffic and 64.5% in domestic traffic.

Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 1,208.3%, in European traffic by 705.2% and in domestic traffic by 248.9% year-on-year.

In North Atlantic traffic, ASK, RPK and passenger number growth rates year-on-year cannot be calculated as there were no passenger flights in December 2020.

In December, available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 449.9% year-on-year (increased by 16.3% month-on-month) and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 347.1% (increased by 3.1% month-on-month), both due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights, especially in North Atlantic traffic, in December 2020. Cargo-related available tonne kilometres increased by 145.6% year-on-year (increased by 9.7% month-on-month) and revenue tonne kilometres increased by 107.4% (decreased by 0.1% month-on-month) and both include the cargo-only flights, operated mainly between Europe and Asia, as well as between Europe and North America. Even though cargo-only tonnes were down by 11.6% year-on-year and by 8.8% month-on-month, exceptionally strong demand for cargo capacity continued in December as the total cargo tonnes increased by 109.2% year-on-year and by 1.2% month-on-month (December was a new record month during the pandemic).

In December, 56.3% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (89.3%). In addition to severe weather conditions, on-time performance was impacted by COVID-19-related challenges, such as new travel restrictions imposed on short notice, which required additional travel document checks, and higher-than-normal sick leaves, which caused resourcing challenges both internally and for service providers in the home hub as well as in outstations.

Traffic statistics for January 2022 will be published on Tuesday 8 February 2022.

* Based on average operational cargo capacity

** Including purchased traffic

• Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points, N/A = not available).
• Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
• Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers, cargo and mail multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers, cargo and mail multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres.

Finnair expands its network in the United States and opens flights from Helsinki to Seattle/Tacoma starting June 1, 2022. In the summer season 2022, Finnair will operate three weekly flights to Seattle on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Finnair also continues to expand its presence in the US by continuing direct flights to New York John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles International Airport from Stockholm, Sweden, through the summer season. From May 1, 2022, Finnair will increase frequencies for these connections. Finnair will fly from Stockholm to New York daily, and to Los Angeles four times a week.

In the summer season 2022, Finnair will fly from Helsinki also to Dallas/Fort Worth, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.